Five people, including a 7-year-old, were injured in a two-vehicle crash Monday around 2 p.m. in Porter County causing a road to be closed and diverting traffic for nearly two hours.

The crash occurred in the area of 209 W. Ind. 130, Porter County Sheriff Police Sgt. Jamie Erow said. Emergency medical helicopters also were called in, she said.

Police reported Ind. 130 between County Road 250 West and Howe Road reopened around 4 p.m.

According to a news release from the Porter County Sheriff's Department, initial investigation shows a blue Dodge Dakota driven by a 28-year-old Valparaiso resident was traveling westbound on Ind. 130 when the driver lost control of the truck on the roadway, sliding sideways into the eastbound lanes of travel.

Authorities said the box truck was a company vehicle belonging to Fox Fire Safety in Mishawaka. Hohl was transported to St. Mary Medical Center in Hobart for complaints of pain. Hohl was wearing his seat belt at the time of the crash, police said.

Police said the names of the occupants from the Dodge Dakota are not being released at this time pending family notification.

The front seat passenger in the Dodge Dakota, a 28-year-old Valparaiso resident, was transported to Porter Regional for serious injuries and police say that passenger is listed in critical condition.

The two rear passengers, a 23-year-old of DeMotte and a 7-year-old from Valparaiso, were reported stable and transported to Porter Regional Hospital with complaints of pain.

The driver of the Dodge Dakota was transported to Porter County Regional Airport by Porter EMS, and then airlifted to South Bend Memorial by Samaritan Air with internal injuries, police said.

Authorities said both lanes of travel on Ind. 130 from County Road 250 W. to Froberg Road were shut down for about an hour and a half while Porter County’s Accident Reconstruction team completed its investigation.

Police said it is not clear if all of the occupants in the Dakota were wearing their seat belts at the time of the crash.

The Porter County Accident Reconstruction team was called out to the scene. Others assisting with the crash were the following agencies: Valparaiso Fire and Rescue, South Haven Fire EMS, Porter EMS, Samaritan Air, Sandbergs Towing and Porter County Central Communications. Toxicology results are pending.

LANSING — A 24-year-old clerk was shot in the leg Sunday night during a robbery at a Family Dollar store, police said.

The shooting may be linked to another armed robbery earlier in the night at a Munster Burger King, Lansing police said.

Lansing police were dispatched about 9:50 p.m. to the Family Dollar at 17829 Burnham Ave. after three men robbed the business and shot the clerk.

Police said the suspects were described as three males wearing dark clothing. The three men entered the store about 10 minutes before closing and demanded money from the clerk. One of the men fired a gun at the clerk, and an undisclosed amount of money was taken before the three men fled through a parking lot, police said.

In a statement released at 9:17 p.m. Monday night, Lansing police said the clerk, who reportedly suffered a gunshot wound to the leg, was transported to a local hospital. Police said the clerk underwent surgery and currently is listed in stable condition.

The three suspects were described as black with dark clothing and their faces partially covered. One had a handgun, police said.

Police said the first suspect, the one with the gun, had on a black hoodie sweatshirt with white trim and black sweat pants with white stripes down the legs.

The second suspect was wearing all black and had a distinctive brown backpack with light colored trim. The third suspect was wearing all black clothes with white and gold shoes and acted as a lookout during the robbery, authorities said.

Police said footprints in the snow led to a residential street where it appeared as if the men entered a vehicle.

Illinois State Police Crime Scene Investigation responded to the scene and processed the business for evidence.

The Lansing Police Department Criminal Investigations Division has an on-going investigation and is requesting that anyone with information call Lansing police at 708-895-7150.

CROWN POINT — A former employee at a doctor's office in Munster is accused of forging prescriptions for pain medication.

Michele Anna Marie Kawzinski, 25, of Hobart, was charged Friday in Lake Criminal Court with two counts of forgery, two counts of obtaining a controlled substance by fraud or forgery, unlawful possession of a legend drug and misdemeanor theft.

Kawzinski is alleged to have forged prescriptions while employed at Orthopedic Specialists of Northwest Indiana, 730 W. 45th St., in Munster, according to court documents.

A manager for the doctor's office told Munster police Aug. 17 that Kawzinski created several fraudulent patient accounts, and those phony patients were prescribed Narco, an opioid medication, documents state.

Doctors told police their signatures were forged on the opioid prescriptions, according to documents.

Kawzinski was taken into custody and a search of her handbag turned up a blank prescription pad for one of the doctors, documents state.

A search of patient records revealed Kawzinski created fraudulent prescriptions for several persons who shared her last name.

One of those prescriptions was filled Aug. 9 at a Walgreens in Lake Station. Surveillance footage from the Walgreens showed Kawzinski was the person who picked up the prescription.

Kawzinski remained wanted on the warrant Tuesday, according to the Lake County Sheriff's Office.